Machines or tools are used to break, fracture, or otherwise change the state of materials by applying a force or torque to the material. During operation, it would be beneficial to apply force and/or torque at an optimal frequency to efficiently carry out the task. However, in most situations, the optimal frequency to break the material is not known for every situation and would be onerous or not possible to determine. For example, the optimal frequency to break concrete depends on the characteristics of the concrete, which may not be known ahead of time. Further, for most industrial and commercial applications, consistency in the machines or tools being sold results in a uniformity such that the machines or tools are not specifically tailored to breaking the particular material in all situations. For example, a jackhammer applies a force (e.g., drill bit impacting the ground) at a particular frequency that is fixed upon manufacture.
In the specific context of aviation, airborne terminals attached to an external surface of an aircraft encounter ice build-up conditions as the aircraft passes from cold dry conditions to warm humid conditions and vice versa. In particular, when aircraft move quickly from high altitudes having cold temperatures to lower altitudes with higher temperatures and humidity, icing conditions are experienced. In many situations, mechanical positioners included in the airborne terminals are not constantly moving and ice will accumulate, forming bridges or dams, on the gear surfaces or between stationary and moving mechanical parts. Teeth of gears are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon. Accumulated ice on terminals with moving parts may prevent the terminal from moving at times of initial startup and during nominal conditions.
Aircraft manufacturers seek to minimize the power consumption of the systems on the aircraft. Accordingly, there is usually a limited amount of current and thus torque available at all operating conditions to attempt to break any ice that builds up on the moving parts of the terminals. Attempts to seal the moving parts of the terminals from humidity are difficult to implement and increase the time and cost of producing the terminals. If the ice cannot be broken through, the positioning capability of the terminal is compromised to the point of mission failure.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skill in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for improved systems and methods for efficiently breaking different materials.